Immortal Hearts: Black Hole
by Kutlessrocker
Summary: Renesmee is invited to Volterra, an apology for the events of Breaking Dawn from the Volturi awaiting her. But is Aro really sincere? And will Renesmee's life ever be the same again? Black Hole, book 1 of the Immortal Hearts series.
1. My Immortal

Author's Note: So, my first Twilight fanfiction I ever finished. Just a little idea I had that grew into something much bigger. This is set seven years after Breaking Dawn and uses elements from both the books and the films. Immortal Hearts will be divided into four "books." Starting with Black Hole. It will be predominantly from Renesmee's perspective. Enjoy

* * *

Eternity, that's what I had to look forward to from the moment of my conception. I would have been lying if I said being a half-human, half-vampire immortal was easy, but my wonderful family made this life so much more bearable.

"Renesmee, time to get ready for school," mom said. I shuffled out of my bed and felt the cold floor under my feet. After a long yawn, I darted at an inhuman speed to my bathroom, taking my shower, brushing my teeth, and getting dressed all in a matter of minutes. I rushed to the kitchen to eat breakfast. "Wow, Nessie, you really need to slow down if you're going to pass off as completely human."

"I know, I know," I said. I sat down at the table and dug into my food. "After school, I'm going down to the reservation to see Jake."

"Alright," mom said. She sat down and watched me eat, not needing food herself. She looked at the table in the living room. "Oh before I forget, you got a letter in the mail this morning." Mom, in the blink of an eye, grabbed the letter and sat back down, not even disturbing so much as a speck of dust.

I took the letter and opened it, immediately noticing the beautiful handwriting on the front. My heart stopped when I saw the name and I dropped the letter. "It's...from Aro!" I gasped. I swallowed hard, closed my eyes, and picked up the letter.

_Dear Renesmee Cullen,_

_We request your presence in Volterra__ for a small feast in your honor. You are permitted to bring one family member to the occasion. I offer this as an apology for the misunderstanding seven years ago and hope to build the trust between our respective covens that we used to enjoy. I cannot bear the thought of us being enemies any longer. Your grandfather was __such __a dear friend of mine, and I have so missed our closeness. Please, come whenever your schedule permits, as we have all the time in the world._

_ Sincerely Yours,_

_ Aro_

"He...wants me to go to Volterra for a feast. I can bring one person," I said, shocked that Aro, after all these years, would want to restore ties to grandpa Carlisle's coven. And another thing, a feast for them was an entirely different thing than a feast to me. I would never be able to bring myself to kill a human being out of thirst, no matter how much I desired their blood. "It says I can come whenever I'm able."

Mom's face seemed to grow paler than usual, which I thought was impossible due to her lack of blood. "The Volturi have to be planning something," she said. "This could be a trap."

"Or it could be sincere," grandpa Carlisle said as he entered the room. "Aro isn't stupid. He will not try to kill you again unless he was sure he could do it and make it look as if he were carrying out justice, which could be centuries. A thousand years is only a few months for them."

"So you're saying to just let her go?" mom said. "Carlisle, I can't let my baby go to Volterra!"

"Let her take one of us with her, or even Jacob," he said. "Bella, I'm sure she'll be fine."

I found grandpa's trust in Aro to be surprisingly misplaced. After the stunt that was pulled when I was only a few months old, I didn't think I could ever trust the Volturi again for the rest of eternity. "I'll go after school with Jacob," I said, speaking up. "If anything goes wrong, well, you guys have trained me well enough to at least get out of there."

"I can pull some strings and get you a flight to Italy tonight," grandpa said. "Let me and your mother handle the details. And your father when he comes back from his hunt. And be safe."

"I will," I said. I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. As soon as I was in my car, I sighed and turned the ignition. "Ok, Renesmee, you've got to pretend to be a normal, completely human, sixteen year old girl. Piece of cake, right?" I tried to convince myself, but I was failing. I'd never tried to hide my nature. I didn't have to around my family. They all understood me, knew what I was. But I was about to enter Forks High School with over four hundred normal people, unfamiliar territory.

I drove to the school, trying my hardest to obey the speed limits, but finding myself speeding. Force of habit from learning how to drive in the Cullen family. I pulled into the parking lot and fished in my bag for my schedule. History with Mr. Yorkie was my first class of the day.

I entered the building, already feeling like a fish out of water. The place looked so alive compared to the relatively sterile atmosphere of my family's house. Of course, these people were actually alive, breathing and with blood flowing in their veins. At least I was similar in some aspects. I tried to keep my head down as to not attract attention.

In my effort to maintain a low profile, I accidentally ran into someone, causing both of us to fall to the ground. "Ouch, I'm so sorry," I said, trying not to make eye contact with the boy I ran into.

"No it's fine," he said. "I've never seen you here before. Is this your first day at Forks High School?"

I looked at the boy in front of me as we both stood up. He was around six feet tall with medium-length, black hair and eyes a deeper blue than the ocean. He had the beginnings of a scruffy beard on his chin and a scar on his cheek. "Yeah, it's my first day. I'm Renesmee Cullen," I said.

"Mason Evans," he replied. "So, did you just move down here?"

"Yeah, I just moved last year to live with my uncle," I lied. "I was homeschooled until now."

"You said your name was Cullen, right? Any relation to Dr. Cullen?" he asked.

I knew I shouldn't have mentioned my last name around him just yet. "Yeah, he's the uncle I was talking about," I said. My grandpa would have to pass as an uncle for now. "Mom and dad are still in Seattle."

"Why did you move to this soggy little town?" he asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

"It's fine," I said. "I just wanted a more peaceful life and mom and dad couldn't leave because of their jobs. Uncle Carlisle is great." I looked at the time on my phone. "I should be going. I have class with Mr. Yorkie. Maybe see you again at lunch?"

"Yeah, see ya later," he said as we passed by each other. I was happy to have at least made one friend, even though I had to lie through my teeth.

The school day seemed to go by faster than I thought it would. Before I could even blink, it was time to go home and get ready for my trip to Volterra. I decided I would drop by the reservation at La Push to pick up Jacob before going back home. I could drive right up to his front door with my eyes closed if I wanted to, all the times I'd gone in my life. Our relationship...was a strange one. Until the previous year, Jacob had been nothing more than a big brother to me and he was my best friend. But then it all changed when I stopped aging. An attraction began to form between us and our friendship turned into love. I knew I loved Jacob Black just as much as he loved me. Due to the whole imprinting thing, it was to be expected that we would fall in love eventually, but it was strange when it actually happened.

I pulled into his drive way and he was already waiting for me on the front porch. "I could smell you from a half a mile away, Nessie," he said, a beautiful smile from ear to ear. "You still stink like the rest of the Cullens."

"I can't help it, Jake," I said playfully. "And you're one to talk. You and your pack all smell like wet dogs to me." I waved my hand in front of my nose in mock disgust and ran into his arms. Jacob scooped me up and kissed me on my lips gently. I broke the kiss and stared into his dark eyes. "You're so warm, Jacob." I snuggled into his arms and let his body heat sink in. Mom, dad, and the rest of my family were all so cold. Jacob was like my own little space heater.

"I guess it's a welcome change from the meat locker you live in," he said, setting me on my feet and cupping my cheek. "Have a nice day at school?"

"It was alright," I said. "Would have been much better with you, though." I placed my own hand on his and stepped forward, initiating another kiss. I closed my eyes and the whole world seemed to fade away. "Jacob, I want to ask you to do something. Can you...come to Volterra with me tonight?"

"Volterra? You mean where those Volturi guys live? Why on this earth would you want to go there?" he asked.

"Aro sent an invitation to join them in an apology feast and said I could bring one family member," I said. "And since you're my fiance, you count as family. So will you please go with me? If you don't want to, I understand. I can take grandpa Carlisle or dad. But...I would really like it if you came with me."

Jacob sighed and closed his eyes. "If it will make you happy, then yes," he said. "You're my entire life, Nessie."

"Thanks Jake," I said. "I'll help you pack." I dashed into his house, past his dad, Paul, and Rachel, and into his room. Jacob was close behind me and entered the room shortly after I did.

"You're going to have to slow down, Nessie," he said, laughing and catching his breath. "Paul still isn't too crazy about vampires, even half-vampires, being on Quileut territory."

"I'll keep that in mind for future reference," I said. I grabbed his suitcase as he fished for some clothes in his drawers. "Jacob, thanks again for doing this for me. I know how uncomfortable you can be around my kind, and especially the Volturi."

"Like I've said before, Nessie, I'd do anything for you," he said. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," I said, burying my head in his chest and wrapping my arms around his waist. My fingers could barely touch around him due to his sheer muscle mass.

Jacob kissed the top of my head and played around with the buttons on my shirt. "Not here, Jake," I said, knowing exactly where his mind was headed. "Not with all your family here."

He sighed and hugged me tighter. "Alright, I'll keep my shorts on, Nessie," he said, a small laugh in his voice.

After we finished packing and visiting with his family, I drove us to my house to pack my things and pick up our plane tickets. I opened the front door and was greeted by aunt Alice. "Nessie, Jacob, hi," she said as she hugged each of us. "I wish I could tell you guys how this was going to turn out."

"We'll be fine, Alice," Jacob said. "I won't let anything happen to Nessie. I promise."

"Yeah, Alice," I said, smiling and trying to convince not only her, but also myself. I looked at Jacob. The drive to protect me was evident in his eyes. But could I protect him if it came to that?

Alice had already packed my bag and set it beside the door. I picked it up and gave mom and dad one last hug. "The first sign of trouble, you come back, Renesmee," dad said. "The minute something seems wrong, get out of there."

"I will daddy," I said. "See you in a few days. I love you."

"We love you too, Renesmee," he said.

He and mom hugged me one more time before Jacob and I went to my car. I sighed as I got in the passenger's seat and buckled up. Jacob turned the ignition and pulled out of the drive way. We continued down the highway all the way to SeaTac, just outside Seattle. I stared out the window, watching as Forks disappeared. We had almost a four hour drive ahead of us. "We'll get gas and maybe some snacks in Port Angeles. How does that sound?" Jake asked, looking over to me.

I turned my attention back to Jacob. "Sounds great," I said.

"Something wrong, Ness?" he asked. He drew his eyebrows together and placed his hand on mine.

"Nothing," I lied. "I'm fine. Really, I am."

"If you say so," he said. He turned his head back to the road and drove us to our destination.

When we arrived in SeaTac, it was already past nine P.M. Our flight left at ten and we would take a connecting flight the next day from JFK in New York to an airport in Rome. From there, we would rent a car and drive to Volterra. It was a long trip, but if Aro was truly sorry for his actions, then it would be worth it.

Jacob parked in the long-term garage and we got our bags out of the trunk. I carried mine myself, despite Jacob's offer to take it for me. He locked the car door and we entered the airport. I reached in my carry-on bag once we sat down and pulled out a thermos I'd been keeping. "What's in that?" Jacob asked.

I looked around to make sure nobody was listening and leaned over to him. "Warm deer blood," I said. "Sometimes, I just get thirsty and human food doesn't do the trick. I am half-vampire, after all."

Jacob laughed and shook his head. "I guess, Nessie," he said. "Just...don't let anybody know what's in there. Toss that thermos before we get on the flight because you know they'll check it."

"I will, I will," I said. I drank the container dry, my thirst satisfied for the time being, and threw it in the nearest garbage can. I leaned next to Jacob and he wrapped his arm around me. "So, we're staying overnight at a hotel...all alone."

"Yeah, looks like it," he said. He looked down at me and smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too," I said. I stretched to give him a quick kiss and fell back into his embrace. I looked at the engagement ring on my finger. Jacob gave it to me a few months before, though we never set a wedding date. It was a simple band with a small diamond on it. Jacob said he saved up for months to buy it for me. It was so beautiful, but the promise it symbolized was what I really cared about. Jacob's love for me was never in question, as mine for him was never in question either. We were soul mates in the purest definition of the phrase. He'd been there for me my whole life, being whatever I needed or wanted him to be. Whether it be a brother, a best friend, or the intimacy we had now, he never failed me. I couldn't have asked for a better friend or lover.

It was time for us to board our flight. We checked in our bags and boarded the plane. I took the window seat while Jacob was comfortable not being able to see anything. The flight seemed to go faster than it really was and we were in New York before we knew it. We took a cab to our hotel and checked in. Our room was on the fourth floor, room 422. I tossed my bag on the extra bed and Jacob did the same. The door closed behind us and I pulled Jake into a long kiss. When we broke the kiss, I stared into his dark eyes. His left hand cupped my cheek while his right explored my waist. My hands reached up to tangle themselves in his shaggy hair. "Finally, we're alone and we don't have to act like we're normal humans anymore," I said breathlessly.

"For now," he said, smiling back at me. His free hand undid the buttons of my shirt and I pulled his belt out of the loops, tossing it with our bags. I kissed him passionately, tugging him closer to me. He slid my shirt off my shoulders and picked me up. He turned me around and laid me on the bed. I threw my head back the second his lips came into contact with my stomach. I touched his cheeks, sending every feeling to him through my special gift.

I woke up in his arms the next morning, my muscles sore from the previous night's exertion. I sat up and stretched, looking at Jacob's sleeping form beside me. I stroked his cheek and he stirred awake. "Morning Jacob," I said, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "Have as much fun as I did last night?"

He sat up and stared into my eyes. "You know I did," he said, his angelic smile spread across his face. "You were amazing, Nessie!"

"You're the amazing one, Jacob," I said. I stood up from the bed, picking up my discarded clothes and throwing them into a basket next to the bathroom door. "I'm going to take a shower and get dressed before our flight leaves." I gave him my best attempt at a sexy smirk, but had no idea how effective it looked.

Jacob chuckled, my attempt at being seductive apparently not too convincing. He stood up out of the bed and hugged me, our still-nude bodies pressing against each other tightly. Our first night of passion had been wonderful, to say the least. "Renesmee Cullen, do you have any idea, any at all, how much you mean to me?" he asked.

"I think I may have a bit of an idea," I said innocently. "Jacob Black, do you have any idea how much _you_ mean to me?"

He ran his fingers through my long, curly hair before pulling away to grab his shorts and boxers from the bag. "I might," he said.

"I'm going to take my shower if you want to join me," I said, walking to the bathroom. Jacob followed me and the two of us went through our routine to prepare for the flight.

After checking out of the hotel, we boarded our flight. I nearly fell asleep during the long flight and we arrived in Rome before we knew it. Jacob and I checked into our hotel, rented a car, and drove the four hours to our destination. He managed to cut the drive down to nearly three hours, but it still seemed to drag. I tried to chalk it up to jet lag, but I knew it was something else. I hadn't seen Aro, Marcus, or Caius since the day they came to kill me due to the false information that I was an Immortal Child. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I was, quite frankly, terrified.

We pulled into the main gates of the city and parked the car within walking distance of the giant clock tower. "Where do we go from here?" I asked rhetorically.

A response, albeit unexpected, came from the shadows in the alleyway next to us. "Come with me," a small voice said. Jacob and I turned to the source and saw the tiny figure standing, cloaked, in the darkest of the shadows. Apprehensively, we followed it to the back of the alley. The figure pulled her hood down to reveal her pale complexion, crimson eyes, and blonde hair. "We've been expecting you, Renesmee. You remember me, right?"

"Oh, I remember you alright," Jacob spoke up. Jane winced, as if she smelled something awful. "Out of all the people they'd send to meet us..."

"What's this dog doing here?" she said, not taking her eyes off Jacob.

"The letter said I could bring one family member," I said defensively. "I brought my fiance. If you have a problem with him, I'm sure Aro would be able to sort this out." My eyes narrowed. I knew even Jane feared Aro as much as anyone else.

"There is no problem here," she said, turning away and opening the door at the back of the alley. "Stay close to me and don't get lost."

We followed Jane down the pathway to the Volturi's home. It was as beautiful as mom had described. Paintings, pottery, and statues hundreds, if not thousands, of years old decorated the room. In the back, three thrones stood with the three leaders seated in them. Aro's eyes followed me the entire time, a perpetual grin on his face. "My dear Renesmee, welcome to our home," Aro said, standing up and clasping his hands together. "And who would this young man be?"

"This is my fiance, Jacob," I said. "You may remember him as the werewolf I was with when we last met."

"Ahh yes," Aro said. "One of the shape-shifters. What a...pleasant surprise. I expected you to bring your father or Carlisle, but this is just as well. Please, have a seat." He motioned to a table off to the side. Jacob and I took our seats as the rest of the Volturi guard approached. Ours were the only ones with plates, whereas the others had cups full of human blood. Aro took his place at the head of the table, Marcus and Caius on either side of him. "The food was prepared by our finest chef. He...is also a main course this evening." Aro held up his cup of blood, which I could only assume belonged to the chef. My stomach turned, making it difficult to pick up my fork and begin eating. It was a standard Italian dinner with various pasta, bread, shrimp, and many other things. It tasted heavenly, but I couldn't get the thought of the poor chef to leave my mind. The fear that must have been in his eyes when they killed him!

When I finished eating, a servant collected mine and Jacob's plates and everyone started to leave. Aro stayed put in his seat. "That was amazing, Aro," I said.

"Why thank you, dear," he said gently. He snapped his fingers, but I didn't understand why. "I always try to make someone's last meal their greatest." Before we could react, Felix, Santiago, Demitri, and Renata grabbed me and Jacob, forcing us out of our seats and restraining our arms.

"Why you bastar..." I growled before feeling an intense pain throughout my body. I looked to see Jane staring at me. I'd never hurt so badly in my life. I felt like throwing up and blacking out. I arched my back in sheer agony before crumbling to my knees. The pain disappeared as Jane shifted her gaze to Jacob. He screamed every curse toward her and collapsed as well. "Leave him alone!" I fought Felix and Santiago's grasp, but it was no use. I would tear my arm off before they let me go.

Aro walked up to Jacob, hands folded at his chest, and stopped in front of him. "Oh how I wished it were Carlisle in this position," he said sadistically. "But you will do just as well, Mr Black." Aro wrapped his hands around Jacob's head and tugged.

"No! Jacob!" I screamed, but it was too late. Aro pulled up, ripping Jacob's head off. His blood sprayed all over my face, all over Aro, and on the floor. Demitri and Renata released his body, letting it collapse on the floor. I roared, my anger burning with the intensity of Hellfire. "I'm gonna kill you!" More than ever before, I felt more vampire than human. Bloodlust filled my eyes and clouded my mind. I struggled against my captors, but was met with a fist to my cheekbone. I knew something cracked, but I was in too much emotional pain to care about the physical pain. I was high on adrenaline. Nothing would ever calm me down. I placed my hands on Felix and Santiago's arms, flooding their minds with the rage and pain I was feeling. It was enough to cause them to loosen their grip so I could escape. I charged at Aro, but was knocked backwards all the way to the other side of the wall. My body ached too much to move. Aro approached me like a tiger who just cornered its prey. "Do your worst, Aro." I hung my head, knowing I was about to die.

Aro stopped in front of me and grabbed my chin. He forced me to make eye contact with him. "It's a shame that such a beauty like you must die," he said. "Your gift could have been very useful, but I am still unsure of the threat you pose to the Vampire world. Goodbye, young Renesmee."

I prepared for my head to be ripped off and my body burned, but neither came. The next thing I could tell, an enormous fight erupted in the room. Vampires were being torn apart all around me. Demitri's head rolled to my side and Aro was all the way on the other side of the room. A figure with a torch burned Demitri's head and I looked up at him. His short, blonde hair and extremely pale skin were all to familiar to me. "Vladimir, is that you?" I asked.

He looked down at me. "Who are you?" he asked, apparently not recognizing me after all this time.

I stood up, dodging limbs and trying to ignore the screams. "It's me, Renesmee Cullen," I said.

"Oh yes, Carlisle's granddaughter," he said, his Romanian accent so thick, I could barely understand him. "We have to get you out of here. Follow me and don't look back."

Taking one last look at Jacob's corpse, I turned and ran with Vladimir to the surface. "We said we would come back to destroy the Volturi, and we did," he said. "Return to the United States. We can catch up later, and give Carlisle my regards."

I nodded and ran as fast as I could back to Rome. The keys to the rental car were still in Jacob's pocket, so I ran the entire distance. I dashed through the hotel, grabbed our bags, and ran back to the airport, bribing them into letting me upgrade to a full trip to SeaTac airport. The entire flight, I was scared and on the verge of crying. I'd just watched the man I love die. I held myself together, but I did not sleep at all during the flight.

When the plane arrived in SeaTac, I fished the keys to my car out of my pocket, threw the bags into the trunk, and drove twice the speed limit all the way back to Forks. I pulled into my driveway that night and collapsed through the living room door. I barely recalled Alice, mom, and Rosalie coming to my aid before I blacked out, my body and mind having all they could take.

When I came to, I was in a hospital bed. Grandpa had set up a makeshift ER in the living room while I was unconscious. I looked around. Mom was in the chair beside my bed. She had a knowing look on her face. "Mom...there's something I need to..." I said weakly.

She wiped a tear from her eye. "I know, sweetie," she said. "Seth and Leah could feel it when...when Jacob died. I'm sorry you lost him, Nessie."

I didn't realize why my eyes were burning until it hit me. I was crying so hard, I could barely see mom in front of me. I choked on my sobs, unable to even breathe. "The Volturi are dead too," I attempted to say.

"What happened?" mom asked. "What do you mean, the Volturi are dead?"

"Yeah," I said. "Vladimir and Stefan killed them all with a small army of Vampires."

Mom sighed. "We can talk more after you've rested. Go back to sleep, Nessie," she said. She kissed my forehead and sat back down. I tried my hardest to go to sleep, but Jacob's last smile and his last facial expressions were all my brain could muster. Eventually, I cried myself back into oblivion, not wanting to face the reality that was to come.

* * *

Author's Note: *raises bulletproof shield from all the JacobxNessie fans* Please don't kill me 0_0 Anyway, I'm really excited about where this story is going. Poor Renesmee is going to go through so much, but the ride will be well worth it by the end of the story. I don't wanna give away anything, but I do have almost all the story plotted out in my head. Thanks for reading and all the people who enjoyed it. Updates will come soon. Until next time, you can also find me in the Kingdom Hearts section of the site.


	2. Deep Wounds

Author's Note: Yay for new chapters.I don't wanna say the story is going to get a lot darker from here, because it's going to kinda fluctuate, you know? And I don't want to give too much away. Anyway, here's chapter two. I'm really having fun writing this and it's good to take a break from the Kingdom Hearts fandom for a while. lol Enjoy...

* * *

As soon as grandpa decided I was alright on my own, I darted upstairs to my room, slamming the door shut and locking it. It wouldn't stop my family if they really wanted to get in, but I didn't care. "Dad, get out of my head!" my thoughts screamed. I knew he could hear me. I jumped onto my bed, biting a pillow to muffle my screams. Every vampire within a five-mile radius could probably hear me. I didn't care, though. My heart was broken. My life was broken. I screamed into the pillow until my voice gave out. My eyes burned, every tear in my eyes drained. I cried until it hurt. Part of me wished Vladimir and Stefan had been just a minute slower. I'd have been dead and not feeling this immense pain.

An entire future, gone in the split second it took for Aro to decapitate Jacob. The smell of his blood in the air, the sick, ripping sound his flesh made, his spine being severed, it was all too much for my brain to take. I wanted to grab the nearest living thing and pour all my pain into it with my gift like I had with Felix and Santiago, hopefully relieving some of my agony. Jacob and I were supposed to be together for all time. He would have lived forever had he kept phasing. Now, I faced eternity without him. What I once looked toward in anticipation became the most terrifying thing in existence. I tossed around on the bed and realized I was still wearing the bracelet Jacob made for me, a gift for my first Christmas. I smelled it, his strong scent still present after all these years. "Jacob, I love you," I said hoarsely. I coughed, irritating my throat even more. Dad obviously heard me because the next thing I knew, Alice was perched on my window like a small bird, holding a cup of tea. "Thanks, Alice."

"You're welcome," she said. "Can I come in?"

I started to tell her no, but I didn't have the energy to. I just nodded my head and she hopped over to me, setting the cup of tea on my nightstand. She didn't say a word. She just put her arms around me. "Renesmee, I'm so sorry," she said. "If I'd just been able to see you and Jacob in my visions, this wouldn't have happened."

"It's not your fault, Alice," I said, though I was unsure if she could understand me because of my scratchy tone. "Aro knew your limitations. I walked right into his trap like an idiot!" I released her and threw the pillow out the window Alice came through. Her eyes followed it, but they returned to me as soon as it disappeared into the trees.

"You're not an idiot, Nessie!" she protested. "Aro was a charismatic man. His greatest weapon was flattery."

"But I still should have seen through it!" I said. "I'm sorry. I'm shouting at you and you didn't do anything wrong. It's just...it's like there's a black hole where my heart used to be. When Jake died, I died too. But...my body won't die with my soul, so I'm caught in this cycle of pain."

Alice pulled me back into her embrace. "You're not alone," she said. "We all love you. I love you. We're going to help you through this. Don't push us away." I felt Alice's tears soak into my shirt. "I know how you feel. I may not have actually lost anyone, but when I showed Aro that vision of the battle that day when they came after you, I watched Jasper die. It hurt me so badly, I almost broke the vision. I know it wasn't real, but...it was real enough for me."

"Big difference, yours was just a vision. But my love is really gone," I said. "I'll never see Jacob again. I have to live forever without him. But...thank you Alice. I love you so much! You, mom, dad, grandma and grandpa, Rosalie, Emmet, Jasper, all of you."

I pulled back and she smiled at me. She grabbed the cup of tea from the nightstand and handed it to me. "Drink up, Nessie," she said. "It'll make your throat feel better."

I complied and took a long drink. I could taste a bit of lemon in the tea. My throat was already feeling better, but it was still irritated a little. "Thanks," I said. "But for a while, I just...want to be alone."

"Sure, Nessie," she said, hopping up to my window. "Just whenever you want me to come back, let Edward know."

"I will," I said. Alice disappeared through the window and left me alone with my thoughts. It wasn't long before I fell asleep again.

I woke up to the sound of arguing on the other side of my door. "Let me in there!" Aunt Leah shouted. "When I get my hands on her, I'm going to rip her apart!"

"Calm down, Leah," dad said. "Renesmee didn't do anything!"

"Shut up, Edward, or you're next!" she growled.

"I swear, if you harm my daughter, it will be the last thing you ever do!" mom said, trying to maintain a calm voice though her rage. "I don't care if you're my step-sister. I will rip you apart if you hurt her!"

"You're making Renesmee more upset than she already was," dad said.

"Like I care," she said. I'd never heard Leah be so angry in my life. It scared me, to be honest. It sounded like she wanted to kill me. Not like I would have fought back if she did. If anything, I would be the one begging her to let my immortality end.

"Let her in," I said in my thoughts. "I wanna talk to her."

I unlocked my door and Leah came barreling in, her face contorted into a look of disgust. "You!" she said. "Jacob trusted you and you lead him to his slaughter? Is that it? Didn't he mean anything at all to you? Because you were his entire world!"

"He meant everything to me, Leah," I defended. "If I'd known it was a trap, I never would have gone."

"Imprinting isn't just a one-way street. He was your protector yes, but you were also his and you failed!" she said. Her words cut to the bone.

"Please, let me show you what happened," I said, grabbing her cheek. Her eyes went from being full of anger, to pain, then she started to calm down as I showed her the exact events, the way they appeared through my eyes. "See, I tried but couldn't do anything to save him! If I could have, then I would have."

Leah pulled away from me, but I could tell she was no longer as angry with me as before. "I see...you did try to help him," she said. "Then when he died...you were about to let yourself be killed. Renesmee, I'm sorry. I'm just...so hurt and angry. Jacob and I, along with the rest of the pack...our psychic link has made us closer than ever before. It just hurts to lose the presence of one of our own. Please, forgive me." Leah buried her face in her hands.

I put my arm around aunt Leah. "I'm sorry I couldn't save him," I said. "How's Billy handling this?"

"Heartbroken," she said. "You should see what it's done to him, Rachel, Rebecca, even Paul. The pack's bond is still strong, but we are so disorganized. Sam doesn't know what to do for them."

I hugged her tighter, letting all the tears I previously withheld flow from my eyes. "Leah, can I ask you to do something?" I asked.

"What, Nessie?" She turned her head to me and looked in my eyes.

"Can we go outside and can you turn into a wolf? Jacob used to phase and let me cuddle up to him when I was sad," I said.

"Sure, Nessie," she said. We jumped out my window and landed in the backyard at the trees. Leah removed her clothes behind a tree and phased. She walked over to me and sat down in a half-moon shape. I climbed into her soft, silver fur and buried my head in it. She wrapped her tail around me and curled up more. She was so warm and smelled just like Jacob.

"Thank you, aunt Leah," I said, my eyes closed tight.

She whined in response and fell asleep. I grabbed fistfuls of her fur and cried into it. I just wanted Jacob back so badly!

I eventually had to return to school. I didn't want to, but I didn't want my first year of high school to begin badly. Jacob had been dead for an entire week, but the wound in my heart was nowhere near closing. I didn't see a light at the end of this tunnel. Only more darkness.

I pulled into Forks High School for the first time since my first day of class. I grabbed my backpack from the passenger's seat and got out of my car. "Renesmee, hey," a voice said just before I reached the door. I turned to see Mason walking towards me. "Hey, where have you been? I've missed seeing you around."

"Oh, I was...sick," I said. I was a horrible liar, so I hoped Mason was gullible. I felt bad for lying to him, though. He was my first human friend. "Wait...no. I mean, I was sick, but not for the reason you might think."

"What's wrong?" he asked, seeing the pain that was obvious in my eyes.

"I had a boyfriend in Seattle," I said. "We never broke up and I'd visit him every couple of weeks. Well...mom called when I got home from school and said...said he died." I tried my best not to cry again, but it was a losing battle. "He was...murdered in some back alley. Mugging gone wrong because his wallet and phone were gone. I'm...sorry. It just...hurts to talk about him..." I lost it, hoping no one would see me except Mason.

"Renesmee, I'm so sorry," he said. He moved closer to hug me and I hugged him back.

I showed him my left hand. "He gave this to me two months ago," I said, showing him my ring.

"Wait, how old are you again," he asked.

"Seventeen, but...Jake and I were really serious about each other," I said.

"I see," he said, hugging me tighter. He guided me over to one of the benches and we sat down. "I'm sorry you lost him, Renesmee."

"You can call me Nessie," I said. "Admit it, my name is a mouthful." I chuckled a bit, hoping to lighten my mood. It worked somewhat, but not enough to be worth note.

"I think it's pretty," he said.

"Thank you," I said. "My name is a combination of my grandma's, Renee, and my aunt Esme." No need to add the fact that said aunt was really my other grandma.

"No problem," he said. "I was named after my dad. Mason Evans Jr."

"My dad's name is E..." I started to say. I remembered that I was supposed to be, for all intents and purposes, dad's cousin. "Eric. Eric Cullen."

"I never even knew Dr. Cullen had a brother," he said.

"Yeah, my family likes to keep to themselves a lot," I said.

The bell rang, cutting our conversation short. "See you at lunch?" I asked.

"Of course, Nessie," he said. I smiled at hearing my nickname and stood up, hugging Mason one more time before going the opposite way as he did.

I decided to make a day trip to Port Angeles after school. I called mom and let her know where I was going before leaving the school. My favorite bookstore was there, and I wanted to see if they had anything new. I left Forks on US 101 and arrived in Port Angeles about an hour later. I parked my car in front of the store and sighed. It wasn't the same without Jacob, but I couldn't just sit there and wallow in the past. Jake wouldn't have wanted me to, and I owed it to his memory to continue living.

I entered the store and went straight for the horror genre. Vampire novels always entertained me. I enjoyed seeing the things humans got right, things they got wrong, and the stories were all-around enjoyable. I didn't dare touch a book about werewolves anymore, not after Jacob. It would be too soon.

I saw a new vampire romance novel on the shelf and decided to buy it. I took the book up to the counter and pulled some cash out of my wallet. After paying for the book, I threw the bag in my car and took a walk down the street. I needed some fresh air and weighed the benefits of going out into the forest to hunt. I was in the mood for some blood. Not much, just a little snack. I was surprised at how dark it was getting, but I didn't mind. My night vision was better than a normal human. Though I did get the feeling I was being watched. I felt an uncomfortable sensation running down my spine and picked up the pace.

When I walked past an alleyway, I was suddenly jerked into it, a hand clasping over my mouth while the other explored my body. "Hey baby, you shouldn't be out all alone like this," my attacker said.

I tried my best to mumble through his fingers. "Get your hands off of me," I said, my eyes narrowing. He removed his hand from my thigh and reached into his pocket, pulling out a switchblade.

"Don't make me hurt you," he said, running the blade's blunt side down my cheek, across my throat, and back up my face. "I don't wanna mess up that pretty face."

"I swear, for your sake, let me go!" I said. "You'll be sorry!"

"And if I don't?" he asked sarcastically.

That was enough to set me off. I grabbed his arm and squeezed his wrist tight, making him drop the knife. I felt his bones crack under the pressure and tossed him to the side. He scrambled backwards, clutching his wrist and I darted over to him. "Wha...what are you?" he asked, frightened like a little child.

"You can't tell by my speed, strength, and general lack of fear toward you?" I said in a low voice, bending over him and breathing on his neck. I couldn't control myself. My instincts kicked in, overriding my common sense. "I'm what you humans call...a vampire!" I sank my teeth into his neck, his screams becoming a low gurgle before his entire body went limp. His blood was warm, sticky, and sweet. Some dripped onto the pavement as I released his body, completely drained of blood.

I looked down at his body, wiping my mouth and licking the blood off the back of my hand. A tug of guilt found its way into my heart. It was the first time I'd ever killed anyone and I didn't like the feeling at all. I covered my mouth and backed away from the body. "Oh god, what have I done?" I gasped. I leaned against the wall and looked up at the sky, trying to take my mind off the empty gaze in his eyes. "I've...killed someone!" I looked around, making sure no one was around, and grabbed his body. I slung it over my shoulder and dashed into the forest, taking him to a secluded area to bury him where no one would ever find him. I dug the hole with my bare hands in a matter of minutes, stuffed him in it, and covered him, forever hiding my shameful act. I washed the dirt off my hands in a nearby stream and ran back to my car at top speed. I drove back home and entered through my window.

A few minutes later, I heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I said. Dad opened the door and sat down on my bed next to me.

"Nessie, I heard what happened in your thoughts," he said, placing his hand on mine.

"Dad, I don't know what came over me," I said. "He was...touching me and I just lost it! Next thing I knew, he was lying there dead on the ground. I'm sorry." I leaned into his chest and closed my eyes tight. "I've never killed anyone before. I hate killing!"

"Shh, it's ok," he said, placing his hand on my head. "You're not the only one in this house who has tasted human blood. All of us except Rosalie have and it's nothing to be ashamed of. You're half vampire, Nessie. It's natural for you to desire blood. We just try to control our nature. It doesn't mean that nature is gone."

"I know, but..."I trailed off.

"And you were defending yourself," he said. "He can't hurt anyone else ever again. Don't worry, Nessie. I don't think any less of you for this. I love you."

"I love you too, dad," I said.

Dad sat with me for a few minutes. He hugged me tightly and waited for my thoughts to calm down. I shifted until I was lying down and looked up into his gold eyes. "Get some rest, Nessie," he said. "You need it."

"Sleeping is practically all I've done for an entire week," I said. "Tomorrow, after school, I think I'm going to ask my new friend, Mason, if he wants to do something."

"Mason?" Dad asked. "What's he like?"

I touched dad's cheek to show him everything about Mason. He smiled a bit as he watched my thoughts. "That's good," he said. "A friend is something you've needed all your life."

"I've had friends before him," I said.

"The Pack, but that's not what I mean," he said. "I meant normal humans, nothing supernatural about them."

"I guess you're right," I said. I yawned and looked at the clock. It was already near 11 PM and I was about to collapse. "I'm going to go to bed. Night dad."

He leaned over and kissed my forehead. "Goodnight, Nessie," he said, smiling as he looked down at me.

Dad walked to the door and opened it, almost running into mom as she came in. "Nessie is going to bed, Bella," he said.

"It's fine," I said. "She can come in."

Dad kissed mom quickly and darted down the hallway, leaving us alone. "So, did you have a tough day?" she asked.

"You could say that, mom," I said. "When I was in Port Angeles...a man tried to rape me and I...drank his blood."

Mom's eyes widened, but only for a moment. "So that's why you've been held up in your room since you got here," she said. She hugged me as she sat down on my bed. "That must have been awful for you. Something similar happened to me in Port Angeles when I was a human. Your dad just happened to have been following me, ever the stalker back then, and got to me just in time."

I could imagine how bad it must have been for her, not even having half a vampire's abilities. "He was always looking out for you, wasn't he?" I said.

"Always," she said. "Looking back, the three of us did some very stupid things over each other." She laughed, but then stopped. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to mention Ja..."

"No it's fine," I said. "It doesn't hurt as bad anymore to hear his name. Anyway, I need to go to sleep. Goodnight mom."

"Goodnight, Renesmee," she said, kissing my forehead the same way dad had, and left me alone in my room. My eyelids grew heavier and I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Author's Note: So, Renesmee killed her first human. Originally, I wasn't planning on putting that part in until a few more chapters (halfway through this book), but I felt like it would go well with the rest of this one. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and I eagerly await feedback. Thank you and goodnight.


End file.
